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The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has named Boston College Professor of Physics Ilija Zeljkovic among its third annual cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators, a group they expect will yield new insights and open new frontiers in physics.

Along with the 18 other researchers in the select group, Zeljkovic will receive a five-year, $1.25 million grant to support his research goals and try new ideas.

"I am honored to receive this award and very grateful to the Moore Foundation for selecting our project," said Zeljkovic. 鈥淚t will enable us to perform exciting, cutting-edge experiments.鈥�

The initiative provides flexible funding to pursue imaginative research ideas, allowing the investigators to explore new and uncharted areas and advance the scientific understanding of the natural world, according to the Moore Foundation announcement.

鈥淭his initiative is designed to support novel and potentially high-payoff projects that will advance the field of physics but might be hard to fund through traditional funding sources,鈥� said Theodore Hodapp, program director for the initiative. 鈥淰ia an open call for proposals, we have lowered the barriers for researchers from a wide range of institutions and experiences to apply. We are delighted with the variety of ideas and projects this year's cohort represents."

Among the awardees, Zeljkovic is joined by colleagues from institutions that include the University of California, Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

With the Moore Foundation award, Zeljkovic will examine quantum materials for their atomic defects and impurities, which are either intentionally introduced to generate new collective behavior or an accidental byproduct of material synthesis. These imperfections themselves can possess special properties. Developing and expanding the use of characterization tools with atomic-scale spin sensitivity that can uncover new information related to impurity sites is at the forefront of experimental progress, he said.

"Our research program will employ electron-spin-resonance scanning tunneling microscopy, a budding technique for quantum sensing and manipulation of spin states, and establish its use in the realm of quantum materials," said Zeljkovic. "The overarching goal is to build the foundation for the understanding of spin state dynamics associated with individual impurities in quantum materials, which is currently difficult to achieve using other tools."

The grant will support hiring a postdoc, as well as a graduate and an undergraduate student. The grant will also support upgrading lab equipment, such as the acquisition of electronics for fine control of magnetic fields in all three dimensions and the apparatus to enable imaging of smaller samples, Zeljkovic said.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation advances scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and preservation of the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit or follow @MooreFound.